Place-Based Approaches: Characteristics and Learning

Two new papers in a building collection of place-based intelligence, focused on learning beyond the arts

Increasingly A New Direction has been exploring more holistic approaches to place-based challenges; including its work with Creative People and Places, its cultural investment programme, Challenge London, and its support for Cultural Education Partnerships. These are place-based programmes that seek to connect partners across different sectors for a greater impact through arts and culture. However, there was a sense that perhaps we as a sector are behind the curve; that there were potentially relevant lessons we could learn if we looked beyond our own practices.

The resulting documents are two-fold: a paper outlining different approaches within place-based work, which draws upon the learning for cultural programmes from 8 worldwide place-based initiatives; and a case study detailing the personal journey of leadership in establishing the Birmingham SEHM Pathway programme, which supports those wrongly placed in Social, Emotional and Mental Health schools.